[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1257 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1257
Recognizing International Human Rights Day.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 10, 2020
Mr. Diaz-Balart (for himself and Mr. McCaul) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing International Human Rights Day.
Whereas the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights on December 10, 1948;
Whereas human rights activists and organizations around the world continue to
mark International Human Rights Day as a time to call for global
recognition of human rights;
Whereas the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that
``recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable
rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom,
justice and peace in the world'';
Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights lists the freedoms of
expression, religious belief, political opinion, independent media,
access to information, due process, democratic governance, and the right
to property among the inalienable rights belonging to every person;
Whereas the United Nations Human Rights Council, while founded on sound
principles, has failed to fulfill its mission of promoting human rights
in the most repressed areas of the world;
Whereas the Council, which has 47 members at a time, has included some of the
world's worst human rights abusers, such as Cuba, the People's Republic
of China (PRC), Russia, and Nicaragua, and currently the Council
includes Cuba, Eritrea, and the Maduro regime of Venezuela within its
membership;
Whereas the United States announced its withdrawal from the Council on June 19,
2018, due to the organization's profound need for reform, and its myopic
focus on criticism of Israel, a democratic country that respects human
rights;
Whereas grave human rights abuses in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela should be
addressed thoroughly by the Council, particularly in regard to
documented cases of arbitrary or extrajudicial killings, torture,
persecution for political opinion or religious belief, imprisonment of
political opponents, media censorship, and suppression of the rights to
speech and assembly;
Whereas, in October and November 2020, the regime in Cuba brutally arrested
prodemocracy activists and artists, including members of the San Isidro
Movement, some of whom engaged in a hunger strike to protest the
wrongful imprisonment of those expressing opposition to repression and
censorship;
Whereas, on December 2, 2020, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
(IACHR) announced the publication of a report, ``People Who Have Been
Deprived of Their Liberty During the Human Rights Crisis in Nicaragua
That Began on April 18, 2018'', detailing the arbitrary detention,
sexual violence, and harassment that have been used in Nicaragua in
retaliation against those protesting the Ortega regime;
Whereas the UN International Independent Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Venezuela
issued a report on September 16, 2020, regarding nearly 3,000 cases
involving human rights abuses, with the FFM's chairperson Marta Valinas
stating of the report, ``The Mission found reasonable grounds to believe
that Venezuelan authorities and security forces have since 2014 planned
and executed serious human rights violations, some of which--including
arbitrary killings and the systematic use of torture--amount to crimes
against humanity'', and further stating that, ``Far from being isolated
acts, these crimes were coordinated and committed pursuant to State
policies, with the knowledge or direct support of commanding officers
and senior government officials'';
Whereas grave human rights abuses in the PRC should be addressed by the Council,
particularly in regard to internment camps, abusive population controls
including forced and coerced birth control and sterilizations, the
eradication of the language and culture of minority populations
including Uyghurs, persecution for political opinion or religious
belief, media censorship, forced ``disappearances'', organ harvesting of
the Falun Gong, oppression of the people of Tibet, torture, and
arbitrary or extrajudicial killings;
Whereas Russia's grave human rights abuses should be addressed by the Council,
particularly in regard to persecution and imprisonment of political
opponents and civic activists, crackdown on independent media, gross
violations of freedom of religion, targeted assassinations of
journalists and political opponents, and the expulsion of human rights
and democracy organizations;
Whereas, in 2018, the Council condemned Eritrea's human rights abuses,
documented by the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights in Eritrea, to include ``arbitrary detention, enforced
disappearances, torture and sexual violence and forced labor'' in 2018,
and other human rights groups have condemned Eritrea's political and
religious persecution, but nonetheless, Eritrea was welcomed as a Member
of the Council later that year;
Whereas UN Resolution 60/251 declares that ``members elected to the [Human
Rights] Council members shall uphold the highest standards in the
promotion and protection of human rights'';
Whereas commemoration of International Human Rights Day should include
particular focus on countries with the world's worst human rights
records such as Cuba, the PRC, Russia, Nicaragua, and Venezuela;
Whereas the United States should continue its important work with countries,
nongovernmental organizations, and human rights activists to promote
greater respect for human rights in the most repressed areas of the
world; and
Whereas respect for human rights is essential to promotion of other fundamental
goals for a flourishing civil society, rule of law, good governance,
economic prosperity, and regional stability: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the importance of promoting human rights
throughout the world;
(2) honors the independent journalists, human rights
attorneys, human rights and prodemocracy activists, political
prisoners, nongovernmental organizations, and free countries
for their selfless dedication to promoting human rights;
(3) remembers the sacrifices of those who have languished
under oppression, suffered for demanding respect for basic
human rights, or perished as a result of their advocacy for
human rights;
(4) celebrates the commemoration of 72 years of progress
toward greater respect for human rights; and
(5) acknowledges that all countries must continue to work
toward universal respect for human rights.
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